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Marshalltown, New Housing Plan Could Affect How You Rebuild

by KIX101.1 /1230 KFJB News Department,posted Oct 29 2013 10:38AM

Building homes in a commercial or industrial district will become easier after last nights city council meeting. In its third reading last night before the official vote Steven Troskey who is the Marshalltown City Planner, made it known that with this referendum that living in these areas could continue.

"This would make all residential properties in commercial and industrial districts legal conforming uses able to be transferred, sold, bought, etc," Troskey says, "regardless of what district they're in."

Under the updated code, people would be able to build in any area as long as it met current building code. However, under the current code make building and rebuilding a home impossible. According to Troskey, "Under the current code if your house is destroyed by 50% or more in a commercial or industrial district, we do not allow that house to be rebuilt."

This change will help the people who live in these areas the most. It was noticed that those living in commercial and industrial districts had been having trouble getting financed for loans to rebuild after events like fire. "Underwriters would not approve a loan on a house that couldn't even be rebuilt," Troskey said.

There are many homes in these areas and Troskey mentioned that the people who live in these areas are low income families and starter homes, that if a disaster did occur, it would become very difficult for the people it would affect. "It has been a problem for years and years," Troskey says, "and we couldn't figure out how to fix it."

The catch with this program Troskey says, people only have 6 months to get their permit to rebuild. The final vote will take place on November 11th.